PROMPT from Amy Johnson Crow: Tell the story of a favorite photo — who is in it, when and where was it taken, and why was it taken. Remember, it doesn’t have to be a sepia-toned Victorian era photo. It could be a photo you took last week! (We are part of our own family…

My father’s name was Joseph but went his entire life as Joe.  He was named after his grandfather Joseph Gerbens Dijkstra, who was named after his father Gerben Dijkstra. Joseph Gerbens Dijkstra was born in Workum, Friesland, Netherlands on Wednesday, 18 Jan 1871. He was the fourth child of Gerben Willem and Klaaske Douwes (DAMSMA) Dijkstra.  In…

My grandmother told me once that one of her ancestors served on the USS Constitution – “Old Ironsides”.  I remember during one of my childhood trips to visit my other set of grandparents, who lived in Massachusetts, we took a trip to visit the USS Constitution. Little did I know at that time that one of…

My interest in Family History started with my grandmother, Clara Pauline (Royer) Holm, or grandma Pauline to me. My mother died while I was in high school and was Pauline’s only child. After I married and had children of my own, she became my mother, coming to visit when I gave birth to my children…